Interesting topic, especially since a
Belgian case got worldwide attention when earlier this month when came out that in May 2022 a 23 year old woman got permission to die on her own terms. She was a victim during the bombing at Brussels airport in 2016. She never got over the trauma.
In the Netherlands, we have a euthanasia law. 6 boxes need to be checked and only a doctor can euthanize or help with assisted dying :
- Voluntarily and thought through
The doctor has to be convinced that the patient is making the request voluntarily and thought through. It cannot be one request out of the blue.
The advice is to talk with your GP about it as soon as possible, and not to wait till you are really sick. You can also write down your wishes, in case you get dementia for example.
A doctor doesn't have to cooperate, but he has to help finding another doctor.
- Unbearable suffering without an end in sight
The patient cannot be cured anymore or the patient is unnecessarily suffering and this cannot improve.
With unbearable suffering the doctor has to keep in mind hope the patient is experiencing it. If the patient says the pain is a 10, the doctor cannot say 'I think it's only a 5, you are overreacting'. The doctor has to be able to put himself in the patient's shoes, regarding the patient's life and suffering.
- Transparency about the situation and how to handle it
The doctor has to be transparent about how and if the patient's state can improve. A patient needs to be fully informed to make a decision.
- No other reasonable solution.
The doctor has to come to the conclusion, together with the patient, that there are no other reasonable solution for the patient's situation. The doctor has to look into all the possible options, the patient doesn't have to do all the options. Also taking into account that some treatments are too heavy for the patient to bear.
- Impartial second opinion
The doctor has to ask for a second opinion with at least one other doctor who is impartial to the case. This 2nd doctor has to see the patient as well and check if the first doctor has ticked all six boxes.
- Careful execution of the euthanasia
The doctor has to perform the euthanasia according to procedures and with the right medication.
In the Netherlands in 2021 there were:
7.666 cases of euthanasia (4,5% of all deaths)
over 60% is for people with cancer, next is dementia and psychiatric conditions
over 80% is executed by the patient's GP and it happens at home.
We don't have a shortage, like Canada seems to have or will soon have, as any doctor is allowed to execute. Most of the time it's the patient's GP, but it can also be the specialist or under certain circumstances it can be a doctor in training to become a specialist.
The main discussion here is always about people wanting euthanasia without 'unbearable suffering'. People who feel their life is fulfilled. Imagine season 4 finale of the Good Place: We want a door and dissolve into the universe.
